by Steve Huey
Formed in Münster, Germany in 1991, H-Blockx was a punk-tinged alternative metal band named after Irish slang for high-security prison cells. The band's initial lineup featured singer/rapper Henning "MC-H" Wehland, guitarist Tim Tenambergen, bassist Stefan "Gudze" Hinz, and drummer Johann-Christoph "Mason" Maass; singer/rapper David Gappa was added in 1992. The German label Sing Sing issued their debut album, Time to Move, in 1994, which became something of a hit in German-speaking Europe. Follow-up Discover My Soul appeared in 1996, consolidating their popularity; the following year, Maass was fired from the group and replaced by Marco Minneman. In 1998, the group released its third album, Fly Eyes, which became their official U.S. debut the following year. 1999 also saw the group recording new songs for the soundtrack of the German film Bang Boom Bang, as well as replacing Minneman with Steffen Wilking.
